Feminist Men Research Articles

How Feminist Heterosexual Men Navigate Their Sexual Desire While Following Feminist Principles.

Feminist considerations have influenced how women and men view sex, affecting not only women's perspectives but also men's feelings about sexual desire with regard to gender equity. This might be especially the case among men who self-identify as feminist. However, how men should manage their sexual desire or communicate about it within relationships with women is not always clear in this evolving social climate. Thus, the current study aimed to explore the successes and/or struggles feminist heterosexual men experience while navigating their desires alongside feminist considerations. To explore this, we recruited feminist-identified heterosexual men in long-term relationships. We asked participants (N = 30) a series of questions regarding their sexual desire, considering the context of their long-term relationships and evolving gender norms, during a one-on-one interview via Zoom. Using thematic analysis, we identified 11 themes from the interview data. We found that, though the feminist men in this study were all aware of negative societal perceptions of heterosexual men's sexual desire, most men in this study did not feel conflicts between their feminist principles and their own sexual desires. This is because they reported already following feminist principles; those who felt ambivalent navigated this by communicating with their partners. Findings demonstrate the usefulness and positive impact men report feminism having on them, their sexuality, and their long-term relationships, by allowing them to better engage with their sexuality and partners.

Representasi Father Involvement Dalam Film Stranger Things Season 2

The image of masculinity positioning fathers as central figures in earning a living has implications for the lack of paternal involvement in child-rearing, known as fatherlessness or daddy issues. This research uses the film “Stranger Things” (2017) to provide insights into how father involvement is represented. The study aims to understand how elements of father involvement are depicted in the film “Stranger Things” (2017). The research employs Roland Barthes’ semiotic analysis method, which examines the significance of denotation and connotation. The results show that aspects of father involvement represented in the film are divided into four indicators: (1) authoritarian attitude, (2) portrayal of feminist men, (3) role model for children, and (4) temperamental nature. Thus, it can be concluded that father’s involvement in child-rearing can open new windows into breaking the boundaries of the image of masculinity in societal reality.

Self-Disclosure and Management of Feminine Male Personas on The Tiktok Platform

Social media platforms are growing every time. The development of social media already has various kinds, such as Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, and others. One of the new social media that is currently very popular is Tiktok. As one of the popular social media, Tiktok is a platform for users to be able to carry out the self-disclosure process, especially male users who tend to be feminine. Self-Disclosure as a Disclosure Process: The process of self-disclosure on TikTok is an act in which male individuals express their feminine side through the videos and content they share. This reflects their openness to identity and self-expression which may differ from the gender stereotypes generally expected of men. There are 2 (two) processes that occur during actual self-disclosure on the Tiktok platform, namely on the front stage and back stage and the management of feminine male personas on TikTok involves an understanding of how these individuals build, maintain and manage their image and identity in those platforms. They use elements such as visual effects, background music, and editing to amplify the message they want to convey and create an impact on their audience. TikTok as a platform provides a "stage" for feminine male individuals to perform and interact with followers and other users. They can upload videos with the style and content they choose, take advantage of TikTok's creative features, and manipulate visual and audio settings to create engaging experiences. This study uses identity theory in the process of self-disclosure, and focuses on male research sources. feminist man. This research uses qualitative methods, constructivist paradigms, sociocultural traditions, and digital phenomena approaches

At Least She Is Doing Something? Women Do Not Prefer a Woman Who Confronts Gender-Based Discrimination With a Distancing Motive Over a Nonconfronter

We examined how female (and male) observers evaluated a woman who confronts gender-based discrimination expressing a distancing motive (distance oneself from other women) compared to different types of nondistancing motives. We were interested in the distancing motive, because it has ambivalent implications for women (opposition to discrimination and potential for prejudice reduction vs. disparaging women). In three preregistered online vignette experiments ( N1 = 404 women and men; N2 = 295 women, N3 = 742 women and men; with men as control groups), participants evaluated a female professional who confronted gender-based discrimination, implying either an individual motive (improve individual situation), a group motive (improve women's group status), or a distancing motive, all compared to a condition where the woman did not confront at all. Although women perceived distancing-motivated confrontation as more effective and beneficial for women than no confrontation, they evaluated the distancing-motivated confronter equally negatively as the nonconfronter. Furthermore, effects of gender group (Studies 1 and 2) and feminist identification (Studies 2 and 3) and comparing women's to men's evaluations (Studies 1 and 3) overall indicate that the confrontation motives’ implications (e.g., devaluation of women) for people's identities (e.g., feminist women vs. feminist men) shape the evaluation of a confronter. These results encourage those who have contact with targets of gender-based discrimination to reflect on how their own identity may influence their reaction toward the target.

Insider‐allies: The precarious politics of men in identity‐fluid feminism

AbstractAcademic and activist conversations about the position of men in feminism often operate under the assumption that women are the movement's key beneficiaries and men are privileged outsiders lending their support. I use 59 interviews from a broader project on feminist and LGBTQ+ activism in the United States to illustrate how men's orientation to feminism is shaped by whether social movement organizations adopt what I call woman‐centered or identity‐fluid politics. While woman‐centered politics treat men as allies whose intentions must be vetted by women, identity‐fluid feminism imagines men as insiders with their own independent investment in the movement. I argue that the tension between these two models of identity politics gives men a liminal “insider‐ally” position within feminism. Although feminist men are given a tentative authority to speak for the movement, the persistence of woman‐centered understandings of feminism means men's insider status is contested, especially when they dominate feminist spaces, compromise women's sense of safety, and seek leadership.

Critical Framing Analysis: Violence Against Women on Online Media

The journalistic problem that arises when covering women issues at national and global levels showed that the dominant issues in the mass media were masculine. Women issues were dominant in alternative media. It was assumed that the alternative media use feminist journalism framing in its content. This research used media framing theory as the second level of agenda-setting theory that is supported by standpoint theory in critical paradigm to understand the phenomena. It used descriptive-qualitative approach with critical framing analysis design. The object of study covered 39 articles in February 2022 edition of Konde.Co and Magdalene.Co. The alternative media were chosen because they had feminist vision. The data was analyzed using Robert T. Entmant’s procedure, namely: define problem; diagnosis of causes; make moral judgments; and treatment recommendations. The results showed that almost all the existing articles applied the principles of feminist journalism. The framing of women-related news was more dominant particularly the issue of violence against women. This issue was dominant since until right now it is still happening actually in society. Violence is used by men to subjugate women. Patriarchal power relations are assumed to be behind this phenomenon. This research concluded that the framing of feminist journalism focused on violence against women in public domain committed by men abusers in the position as husbands, lovers, teachers, friends, medical workers, co-workers or public figures. Patriarchism gave men the privilege of using violence as a natural thing to do. Being a feminist man and empowered woman, as well as firm law enforcement were recommendations emphasized in this framing.

Politics of gender: challenges of being a feminist male women human rights defender in the north-eastern periphery of India

ABSTRACT Masculinity and manhood are prerequisite characteristics desired and demanded from every male individual born in Indian society. They are taught to become an ‘Ideal Indian Man’ from the time they are born. Critical reading of masculine attributes is an important facet of feminist discourse. Men who become a part of this quest and movement as ‘women rights activists’, fighting against gender inequality, are often ridiculed and discouraged. In this context, this paper brings out the narratives and struggles of being a male ‘women human rights defender’ in India. According to the information published on the official website of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), women human rights defenders (WHRDs) are people of all genders who work, promote, defend, advance, and advocate for gender equality, and stand for the cause of human rights of women. Hence, going by the definition mentioned above, I argue that a feminist man working relentlessly on women’s issues will surely fall under the category of ‘women human rights defenders’. Their personal experiences and struggles as WHRDs working in their local areas voice varied forms of challenges, stigma, ostracisation, and life risks that otherwise go unnoticed, unspoken, and at times trivialised because of their gender. With an objective to bring out a broader conversation between masculinity studies and feminist scholarship, this paper analyses the challenges of being feminist male WHRDs. To examine this position as a WHRD, the paper will look into the questions of (1) being a man who is always looked upon with suspicion as a person occupying a privileged gender position; (2) a man working on gender-sensitive issues such as human/sex trafficking, child abuse, violence, conflict, and displacement; and (3) his regional location and social class. This paper will structure details of different forms of gender-based lived experiences of selected male WHRDs working in various districts of Assam and West Bengal, through personal interview methods.

Men’s Responses to Sexism: Justification, Self-Silencing, Confrontation, and Collective Action

Many researchers, in general, have approached the responses to sexism issues from women's perspectives and experiences. However, it is important to understand how men percieve sexism and their responses to sexism in the traditional gender system in order to achieve gender equality. Accordingly, the aim of the current paper is to review literature on men's reactions to sexism that women experience. In order to reach the aim, the following dimensions of Sakallı’s (2021) review article are used: (I) being unaware or having a low level of awareness of sexism and, accepting and justifying the existing gender system; (II) being aware of sexism and not taking action even if one has negative feelings about sexism; (III) being aware of sexism and responding sexist behavior and incidents individually; (IV) being aware of sexism and engaging in collective action. In addition, some social psychological variables that may be associated with men’s responses to sexism such as hostile and benevolent sexism, masculinity, manhood, masculine honor, stereotypes about feminist men, social dominance orientation, right-wing authoritarianism, system justification orientation and belief in a just world are examined. Possible future studies are suggested. Keywords men’s responses to sexism, sexism, masculinity, feminism

Men’s Feminist Identification and Reported Use of Prescription Erectile Dysfunction Medication

ABSTRACT We analyzed data from the 2018 Sex in Canada survey (n = 1,015 cisgender men) to examine the association between feminist identification and reported use of prescription ED medication (EDM) during men’s last sexual encounter. Feminist-identified men were substantially more likely to report EDM use than non-feminist men, even after controlling for alcohol use before sex, erection difficulties, sexual arousal, sexual health, mental health, and physical health. One explanation is that feminist men may use EDM to bolster their masculinity when it is otherwise threatened by their identification as feminist. Another is that non-feminist men may be less likely to use prescription EDM because they view accessing healthcare services as a threat to their masculinity. It is also possible that feminist men are more likely to use EDM because they wish to maintain an erection to better please their partner. Lastly, feminist men may be more honest about EDM use than non-feminist men, even though rates are similar. Regardless of the exact reason, therapists can use these results to tailor sexual health messages to clients based on feminist identification. Future work could employ qualitative methods to understand why feminist men report higher rates of EDM use than non-feminist men.

Laki-laki dan Kesetaraan Gender Pada Organisasi Solidaritas Perempuan Komunitas Anging Mammiri Sulawesi Selatan; Perspektif Hukum Islam

The main problems in this research are: (1). What are the views of feminist men in the Women's Solidarity Organization for the Anging Mamiri Community on the issue of gender equality? (2). What are the forms of the women's feminist movement in the Anging Mammiri Community Women's Solidarity Organization on the issue of gender equality? The objectives of this study are (1). Knowing the mindset and point of view of men and women in Makassar. (2). Describe the activities and roles of feminist men in Makassar in gender problems in the life of the people of Makassar.This type of research is descriptive qualitative research with the research approach used is the Normative Sociology Approach and Historical Approach. The data sources of this research are primary data sources and secondary data sources. Furthermore, the data method used is the method of observation, interviews and documentation. Data processing and analysis techniques are processed in three stages, namely: data reduction, data presentation, and leveraging / drawing conclusions. The results of this study are: Men who have a feminist perspective view that the issue of gender equality is not only a problem involving women. More than that, this issue of equality in the global community because in practice it needs support and support from men because equality of speaking between relations between two sexes is different. The issue of gender equality exists because of a culture of male domination which is commonly referred to as a patriarchal culture. The gender equality movement carried out by feminist men in the Solidaritas Perempuan Anging Mammiri Community, South Sulawesi, implements programs within the organization. They also conduct regular reviews on gender equality issues published in Makassar so that they can take a little role for gender equality. They also began to apply equality in their own family roles. Thus they hope that this knowledge of gender equality can be widely practiced and initiated by members of their own families

Feeling rules and sexualities: Postfeminist men in Swedish television

Postfeminist cultural representations have shown men as bumbling anti-heroes, and as sensitive and supportive of feminism. Research on postfeminist men has mainly been based on UK and US cultural representations, while other contexts have received little attention. In this article, I deepen the understanding of postfeminist portrayals of men by focussing on Sweden and on formulations of men’s emotionality and sexuality. I also develop the idea of postfeminist feeling rules by relating it to men. The material of the study is Boys, a 2015 Swedish TV series about two young feminist men. The article discusses several feminist-inspired discourses present in the series, including narratives of personal development, men’s emotions as in themselves progressive and a (semi)problematization of heterosexuality, all of which reduce gender politics to concern mainly the emotional lives of men. The postfeminist feeling rules formulated in the series privilege reflexiveness and, ostensibly, ‘letting out’ feelings and sexual desires. However, I argue that the series suggests a careful curating of emotional displays, excluding, for instance, aggressiveness. The article demonstrates the importance of critically scrutinizing mediated productions of postfeminist masculine positions in different contexts, and deepens the understanding of how postfeminism addresses and produces masculine subjects.

Young Feminist Men Finding their Way

Men and feminism is a contentious topic. In theoretical discussions as well as in previous studies, men and feminism have been described as an oxymoron, that being a man and a feminist is a border land position and that it entails experiences of so-called gender vertigo or gender limbo. Still, there are men who identify themselves as feminists and engage in feminist settings, parties and organizations. In this article, I aim to explore how masculinity is constructed and shaped within feminism. The article is based on qualitative interviews with nine young feminist men in Sweden. Using Sara Ahmed’s queer phenomenology and the concepts of disorientation and reorientation, I analyse how the interviewees experience themselves as men and feminists and how they navigate within their feminist settings. The analysis illustrates that in contrast to previous research, the interviewees articulate an assuredness in their position as men and feminists. However, being a man and a feminist is still a somewhat disorienting position that promotes reflexive journeys through which the interviewees seek to elaborate a sensitive, perceptive and “softer” masculinity. Feminism can be seen as a way of doing masculinity, and the ways in which the interviewees (re)orient themselves in their feminist settings can be understood as processes of masculinity construction. These reorientations position the interviewees in the background of their feminist settings, where they carry out what I call political housekeeping and men-feminism. From this position, they also adopt a perspective of a theoretical as well as temporal distance and articulate themselves as actors in the history of feminism. Thus, the article highlights that feminist men can seek out a masculinity that is positioned in the background yet still experience themselves as subjects in the feminist struggle.

Feminist Men and Sexual Behavior: Analyses of Men’s Sex with Women

Men’s identification with and support for feminism has attracted the interest of masculinity scholars. This study explores an under-researched dimension of this phenomenon, investigating the relationship between feminist identification and sexual behavior. In heterosexual encounters, do feminist men report having sex more recently than those who do not call themselves feminists? During sexual encounters, do feminist men behave differently than non-feminists? In particular, do feminist men organize their sexual behavior in a way that prioritizes their partners’ sexual pleasure to a greater extent than non-feminists? Using representative survey data of Canadian adults, we examine the self-reported sexual behavior of heterosexual Canadian men. We find that self-identifying feminist men report having sex more recently and are more likely to report engaging in breast stimulation and performing oral sex on their partners than non-feminists. We discuss the implications of these findings on the sociological literature on gender and sexuality.

Feminist Women’s Attitudes towards Feminist Men in the Canadian Atheist Movement

Abstract Scholars of nonreligion and atheism have become increasingly interested in how the atheist movement reproduces gender inequalities. This growing research area is especially concerned with atheist activism’s contradictory embracing of gender egalitarianism on the one hand (especially when embedded in a critique of religion) and the exclusion of women from atheist spaces. Limited information is available on male atheists who identify as feminist or who express agreement with feminist goals. Although some scholars have addressed the rejection of feminist claims within organised nonreligion, this article examines both men’s adoption of the feminist label and women’s attitudes towards feminist men in the atheist movement. Drawing from thirty-five semi-structured interviews with atheist activists in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, I show that some feminist women perceived feminist men as passive or guided by insincere motivations (primarily to earn the attention and approval of women within atheist organisations). These findings shed light on the dilemmas of feminist men in atheist activism and contribute to understanding the gender dynamics of some atheist organisations.

Una aproximación teórica a las olas del feminismo: la cuarta ola

Resumen. Este estudio tiene por objeto dar visibilidad a las primeras voces feministas que, en un primer momento, de forma individual a través de sus obras y en un segundo momento, de forma colectiva con el surgimiento del movimiento feminista, lucharon y luchan por una sociedad donde el hombre y la mujer se encuentren en una situación de equilibrio; de misma valoración y consideración y dispongan de los mismos derechos y oportunidades. De esta manera, el presente análisis se adentrará en las conocidas como Olas del feminismo, que pondrán de manifiesto, cómo las mujeres partiendo de una situación de discriminación e invisibilización, mantenida y perpetuada a través de la Historia por los roles de género y el patriarcado, en todos los ámbitos de la sociedad; social, político, económico, cultural, civil, religioso y privado, fueron dando pasos hacia la igualdad. El estudio finalizará incidiendo de manera especial en las numerosas y masivas manifestaciones de mujeres y hombres feministas en todas las partes del planeta e, indicadores, que hacen posible hablar de la existencia de la Cuarta Ola feminista y de sus objetivos: La lucha por la eliminación de todas las formas de violencia hacia la mujer por el simple hecho de ser mujer, incluida la violencia sexual y prostitución y, la consecución de la paridad real entre el hombre y la mujer en todos los ámbitos.

“This Is What a Feminist Looks Like”: Dead Girls and Murderous Boys on Season 1 of Netflix’s You

The taking up of feminist discourses and practices by a violent misogynist on Netflix’s You is an important departure from mainstream televisual engagements with gendered violence. Drawing on Jackson and Mazzei’s methodological work, we examine “threshold texts” as those that radically destabilize incommensurable political stances such as feminism/misogyny and queer alliance/homophobia. What are the implications of this destabilization for social justice projects? First, we argue that Joe’s voice-over re-centers white, heteronormative masculinity. Second, we examine the implicit homophobia underlying the show’s depiction of female friendships as queer danger. Third, we argue the representations of masculinity offer a hopeless landscape for heteronormative female viewers. We conclude by looking at the paratextual context, specifically actor Penn Badgley’s own ambivalent location as a queer, feminist man playing a character that represents heteronormativity’s deadliest outcome.

Peran Ideologis Tokoh Parang Jati dalam Penyelamatan Kawasan Karst Sewugunung pada Novel Bilangan Fu Karya Ayu Utami Kajian Ekofeminisme

<p>This study aims to analyze feminist ideology and thoughts about the ecofeminism of Parang Jati characters, the role of thinking and the realization of the ecofeminism that Parang Jati did in rescuing the Sewugunung karst area, as well as the impact of the understanding of ecofeminism carried out by Parang Jati to save the Sewugunung karst area in the novel Bilangan Fu. The research method used is descriptive analysis method with qualitative research. The result of the ideological analysis of the Parang Jati character is that the Parang Jati figure is a figure who has a critical attitude and thinking towards patriarchy although he was born with male gender so that later on he becomes a feminist man. The results of the ecofeminism analysis of the Parang Jati character in rescuing the Sewugunung karst area from mining are Parang Jati formulates three cultural strategies namely: (1) making Sewugunung a Protected Area category I a; (2) changing people's ideas on nature conservation through art performances and dialogues; and (3) making Sewugunung a Protected Area category III. The results of the impact analysis of the realization of the ecofeminism of Parang Jati figures are: (1) The Government reviews proposals to make the area under conservation; (2) The company does not extend the security forces; and (3) changes in the attitudes of the figures to become more concerned with nature and do not commit violence against humans, especially women.</p>

Comrades in the Struggle? Feminist Women Prefer Male Allies Who Offer Autonomy- not Dependency-Oriented Help

Feminist women view feminist men who take a backseat and offer partial help (i.e., autonomy-oriented support) as better allies than those who attempt to solve the problem themselves and who impose their will on the movement (i.e., dependency-oriented support). We support this idea in two experiments (ns = 96; 270) conducted in the United States. Further, we show that this preference is limited to women who are most motivated to challenge gender inequality, that is, those who strongly identify with feminists (Study 2). Our findings are important because although men are more willing to challenge gender inequality if they identify with feminists (Wiley et al. 2013), not all allied support is wanted or even helpful (Droogendyk et al. 2016), and some feminist men run the risk of reinforcing the very gender hierarchy that they seek to dismantle. Our studies shift the focus in research on allied activism from whether men will support women when they challenge gender inequality to what kind of support women actually want. Implications for psychological research on intergroup relations and feminist scholarship are considered.

Seeing the Invisible Knapsack: Feminist Men’s Strategic Responses to the Continuation of Male Privilege in Feminist Spaces

Privilege has been primarily conceptualized as invisible to those whom it benefits, but research on whiteness has suggested this is an oversimplification. Through interviews with fifty-two men who engage in gender justice projects and twelve women who work with them, this article investigates the complex ways some men do see, understand, and critique male privilege, as well as the ambivalent feelings and strategic decisions of both the men and women in response to the continuation of male privilege in feminist spaces. Many describe a “pedestal effect,” wherein men receive disproportionate rewards for their work as feminist allies. Emergent themes include five types of benefits, as well as internal conflict among interviewees who recognize that these added benefits conflict with their egalitarian ideologies. These men negotiate the contradiction between their anti-sexist commitments and the unequal appreciation they receive for these commitments in situationally specific ways and tend to be more satisfied with their responses at the microlevel than at the macrolevel. These results support a retheorization of privilege to recognize that it operates at multiple analytic levels and that individual action is often insufficient to address structural privilege.

Feminist Identity in Men: Masculinity, Gender Roles, and Sexual Approaches in Feminist, Non-Feminist, and Unsure Men

Research on feminist identification in men has often focused on men who identify as feminist or who assert agreement with feminist goals. For some men, however, choices surrounding feminist self-identification may be uncertain in ways that are meaningful indicators of their beliefs and values. We hypothesized that men who were uncertain about their feminist identity held beliefs that fell between their feminist and non-feminist peers, representing a unique ideological position. We tested this possibility by comparing feminist, “unsure”, and non-feminist U. S. college (n = 533) and community (n = 277) men’s masculinity stress and conformity, gender role values, and approaches to sexual relationships. Results showed that unsure men’s gender role values fell between feminist and non-feminist men, but unsure men were more like feminists for some components of masculinity and more like non-feminists for others; on some constructs, feminist, unsure, and non-feminist men were similar. For sexual relationships, all men were equally invested in a sexual partner’s pleasure, but unsure men and feminist men were less concerned with receiving sexual favors in exchange compared to non-feminists. We discuss how acknowledgement of men’s uncertainty about their feminist identity may be useful for how researchers assess men’s relationship to feminism, how instructors teach men about feminism in classroom settings, and how activists involve men in the feminist movement.